The penultimate round of the 2022 season is also one of the most popular events of the season for fans and drivers alike – the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.
But with Max Verstappen and Red Bull in seemingly unstoppable form having already secured both world championships, will the last sprint weekend of the season serve up the kind of action the promoters are eager to see?
The final sprint
For the third and final time in 2022, teams and drivers will face a sprint race and the unusual weekend format that comes along with it.
Friday will see just a single hour of practice before the traditional three-stage qualifying system in the evening sets the grid for the 24 lap sprint race on Saturday that will effectively serve as the first 100 kilometres of the grand prix which will resume on Sunday.
Interlagos will be the first circuit to host a sprint race for the second time. It will be an interesting case study, as last year’s sprint race was by far the most memorable of the five held to date – mainly due to Lewis Hamilton making his way forward from last on the grid, to where he had been relegated following his disqualification from qualifying due to a technical infringement. Whether there will be as much excitement this time around should there be a fairly typical grid order remains to be seen.
Drivers have been fairly indifferent towards the idea of another sprint race, although many have expressed their approval of the condensed weekend format. Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, however, is happy to face the third sprint race of his career.
“I think we’ve done well, we’ve scored points at every sprint so far and I actually quite like those weekends where you get into serious business, quickly,” Magnussen explained.
“Three practice sessions are actually a lot, and these weekends show that you can get ready for qualifying with one practice. It’s the same for everyone, you deal with it, and it becomes normal. From a driving perspective, it’s very cool.”
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Turn four
Last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix was the scene of one of the most controversial incidents of the season – unsurprisingly involving championship rivals Verstappen and Hamilton.
While battling for the lead late in the race, Hamilton used DRS to slipstream past the Red Bull Verstappen approaching turn four. In defence, Verstappen appeared to miss the apex and push Hamilton off the…
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